


Sly Cooper: Legacy of Thieves

by Pandabazooka



Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Ancient History, Anthropomorphic, F/F, F/M, Post-Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Pseudo-History, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24443257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandabazooka/pseuds/Pandabazooka
Summary: Sly is missing after his encounter with Le Paradox. Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita are doing everything in their power to find him. Meanwhile, Sly finds himself stranded in time, on the verge of another adventure in the past to save the world he knows.
Relationships: Sly Cooper/Carmelita Fox
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29
Collections: Sly Cooper





	1. Curse of the Pharaohs; Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever published work. I adore the Sly Cooper series, as I grew up playing them, and fell in love with the characters and the thrilling heists they pulled together. My twin sister has been a great inspiration to me and is, in fact, the one who came up with the premise of continuing the adventures of Sly Cooper and his gang.
> 
> Please feel free to comment and offer constructive criticism. I am always looking to improve.

SLY

When Sly regained his consciousness, he felt the sun burn through his eyelids. His ears were ringing, and every part of his body ached like hell. As he moved, he felt something dry and soft under him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and was pleasantly surprised to see that his cane was still in his hand, and that his hand was still attached to the rest of him.

“Well...” He thought. “I guess I survived after all, Bentley.” 

Sly pulled a weak smile. His friends must have been worried sick over his latest stunt. He imagined the joy on Murray’s face when the big guy would scoop him up and give him a bone-crushing hug, the relieved and neurotic Bentley telling him to never do anything like that again, and Carmelita... 

...Where was he? His vision was a bit blurry, so it took him a few seconds to register the giant pyramids towering over him. Sly jerked up so hard that he almost passed out again from the pain. He winced, holding his sides. This did not make sense. He had escaped the Blimp. He should be somewhere in Paris, right? He gazed around, only to see that he was surrounded by massive sand dunes wherever he looked. The Blimp, or what remained of it, was scattered all around the place, emitting thick, awful-smelling smoke.

“Over there!”

Sly had little to no time to react, as he was surrounded by people in strange outfits, each holding a long wooden pole, and pointing them towards him. They were dogs, and they looked angry. One of them dashed forward, disarming him skillfully, while the two others quickly used their weapons to lock Sly to his place. The first one stepped forward, looking down on him with a disgusted look on his face.

“You thought you would get away with defiling the sacred sites, Slytunkhamen?” He growled.

Sly gave him a baffled look. His mouth was dry, and he was desperate for a glass of cold water, but he managed to speak.  
“Slytunkhamen? He coughed. Pal, you’ve gotten the wrong Coo-!”

“Silence, worm!” The dog said sternly. “Did you think your strange disguise would fool us? The Vizier will not be merciful to you after all of your debauchery!” He kicked a piece of the Blimp.

“What even is this trash?”

Before Sly could protest, he was tied up, and dragged up his feet. He did not quite understand the situation, but he knew that he was in trouble with the local law.

“Where Am I?” He asked, though he had a rough idea, and he did not like the answer.

“Ha! Egypt, governed by the ruler of the Two Lands, His majesty Pharaoh Tutankhamen, of course!” Did you hit your head, filthy thief?”

BENTLEY

It was another restless night. Bentley sat in front of his set up, finishing a line of code he had been working on for the last few weeks. He took an absent-minded sip of his extra strong coffee. Murray’s snore echoed from somewhere in the hideout. Sly had been missing for exactly 132 days. He might have been dead, Bentley thought, but then again, his body would have shown up already. Besides, Bentley could not ignore the gut feeling that Sly was alive, somehow unable to come back or to contact them. He had his theories, of course, but he didn’t have had the heart to tell them to Murray just yet. The big guy was devastated over the disappearance of their best friend, and had been occupying himself with pro-wrestling, and developing his strength. Carmelita had also taken things rough. She had been in regular contact with him about theories, clues, and possible sightings regarding Sly’s whereabouts. Bentley understood her well. He had been in a bad spot when Penelope disappeared without a trace. Bentley shook his head, mentally berating himself. He did not want to think about Penelope.  
*Bling* The faint sound of his messenger interrupted his train of thought. It was from Carmelita.

Bentley,   
It is time that we do something concrete about the situation. Can you and Murray meet me at my place today as soon as possible?  
C.F

Bentley read the message, thought for a bit, and replied. Carmelita was right. They would have to meet and talk face to face. They had to do something. He’d have to collect a few favours, and the materials would be hard to come by, but it would be worth a try. After all, one couldn’t put a price tag on a friendship like theirs, and Sly would do the same if any of them disappeared.  
The sun had begun to rise; it was almost dawn. Bentley yawned, and stretched his hands. He had a few hours to catch some sleep before the meeting. He’d have to wake Murray up first. It was going to be a long day.


	2. Slytunkhamen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sly is trying to find answers, and is aided by a familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to my sister, who helped me to write and edit this chapter! I'll upload a new chapter every Friday UTC +3/ EEST. Thank you for every click, read, and kudos. Special thanks to Ironchef13 for encouraging comments!

SLY

The dogs had dragged him to a nearby city, and beaten him when he couldn’t give them any satisfactory answers. Finally, they had thrown Sly into a pit of some sort, with a firm promise they’d be back for him later. He hoped they’d forget. 

Bruised and exhausted, he tried his best to assess his situation. Somehow, he had ended in the Ancient Egypt through Le Paradox’s time loop. The Blimp was in pieces, scattered all around the desert, and Sly had no way of returning to his own time, or even contacting anyone for the matter. To make things worse, he had been mistaken for Slytunkhamen, his Egyptian ancestor, who had been notorious for stealing from corrupted noblemen, and even the Pharaoh himself. Sly rolled on his back, defeated. The situation definitely wasn’t going his way and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. He had no idea how much time had passed, or what was going to happen to him. If only he had his cane...

“Wow, you do look like him, even though your clothes are strange.”

Surprised by the addition of a voice that wasn’t his own, Sly gazed up, and saw a little fennec fox girl, no older than twelve, looking down on him with an unreadable expression. They stared at each other for a while. There was something peculiar about the situation, and as the child’s gaze bore down on him, Sly felt like his soul was being judged. He opened his mouth, but he hadn’t had a drink for quite a while, and speaking was more difficult than he had anticipated. He tried again, drawing a raspy breath. 

“Hey, I don’t think it is such a good idea for you to be here, kid. Those guys there are pretty nasty”, Sly coughed.

“Indeed”, the girl replied knowingly. “They have also been bribed. They will not harm me.”

She paused, and gave him a thoughtful look. Then she grinned at him, and disappeared. After a little while, a ladder made out of rope and wood descended on the pit. The girl had come back. She climbed nimbly into the pit, and ushered the confused Sly on his feet.

“Don’t get me wrong I do appreciate the help, but who are you? Last time I checked I wasn’t really winning any popularity contests around here to warrant assistance breaking out.”  
The girl smiled at him.

“My name is Nane. I have come to your aid, because my teacher told me to bring you back, if you had honest eyes. He was quite apologetic to know someone got beaten because they were mistakenly identified as him” She circled Sly once, stopping in front of him and playfully tapped his chest with her finger, giving him a knowing look and a nod. “I think we can trust you, but you’ll have to convince him too.” She quickly hopped back on the ladder and glanced over her shoulder at Sly, beckoning him to follow.

“Come with me.”

Once he was out of the pit, Nane gave Sly a worn cloak, for otherwise he’d be bound to attract attention in his modern day clothing. Quietly, they snuck out of the building. Nane was quick on her feet, and he had to pick up his pace to keep up with her. They crossed a busy marketplace full of people selling various items; baskets full of ripe fruit, stalls specializing on ceramics, and even jewelry shops decorated the scenery where ever Sly laid his eyes upon. After many twists and turns, they arrived on a quiet residential street, and stopped in front of a modest looking house made of various clay bricks. It had a flat roof, and mat coverings shielded the windows from the sun and curious eyes.

“In here!” Nane exclaimed.

They discretely entered the building, and after what had seemed like ages, Sly felt he could finally breathe easy. Breaking out of imprisonment had never been his favourite pastime.  
Once inside, Sly had some time to take in his surroundings. The interior of the house was scarcely decorated with small wooden tools and tables. Mats covered the floor and walls, and a few baskets stood in the corner. In front of the biggest table sat a young raccoon dressed in a wrap skirt. He stared intensively at Sly.

“Sit”, He gestured the stool opposite of him. 

Not wanting to challenge his ancestor’s good will, Sly sat down. Nane brushed past him and took a seat at the corner near them, now looking interested at the two Coopers staring each other across the table. Slytunkhamen poured water in a clay cup from a jug in front of him, and slid it across the table to Sly, which the latter accepted and drank thankfully. When he felt like he could speak without damaging his vocal cords, and as the last drop of water passed his lips, Sly finally turned back to address his host, whose keen pair of eyes had been intensely following his every move.

“Um... Hello. You are probably wondering who I am”, Sly offered. 

“Indeed”, Slytunkhamen answered, and cocked his head slightly, eyes never leaving Sly’s own. “You do have to admit the resemblance of our appearances is quite... uncanny, I do not blame the guards for their mistake.”

“Well... it is a rather complicated story. I am Sly, and I suppose you could say that I am a very, very, very distant relative of yours.” Sly said, feeling nervous for being stared with such intensity.

He knew he needed his ancestor’s help if he ever intended to find his way home, but telling the thief that he was from the future was out of the question at the moment. In addition, he still had no idea where his cane was, and he had no idea where to start looking for it.

“I lost my... carriage in an accident, and before I knew it I was captured by those guards.”

Well, a “carriage” wasn’t exactly a right word, but he hoped that Slytunkhamen wouldn’t inquire about it any further. It would be difficult to talk about blimps and flying to Ancient Egyptians without sounding at least a little bit crazy. The other thief did not seem to react to his words, so he continued. 

“They took my cane; it is a family heirloom. I need it back.” The thought of losing his cane pained him. It was not only his trusted weapon, but also had belonged to his late father, and he felt powerless without it.

The silence fell yet again between them. Slytunkhamen seemed to ponder over Sly’s words. Minutes went by, and Sly felt his impatience growing with his nerves. 

“You have not asked me my name.”

Sly felt himself mentally wince at his small mistake, but quickly rebutted.

“I heard the guard dogs call me by the name “Slytunkhamen”. Then a little girl comes to save me by the order of her “teacher”, who was very sorry for the mix up might I add.” He leaned back a little despite it hurting his bruised rib, trying to appear as calm and collected as possible. ”Let’s just say I assumed I’m speaking to that Slytunkhamen right now.”

Finally, with a small nod, Slytunkhamen seemed to relax. 

“I have decided to trust you for the moment. Nane vouched for you when she chose to bring you here, and I see no ill intention in your eyes”, He said. “As what comes to your cane, I happen to know that it was taken by a certain faction that has also sparked my interest. It is called the cult of Aten.”

Sly nodded, thankful that the other was satisfied with his answers. He had never heard of this cult of Aten before, but if they had his cane, that was the logical place to start. Nane had disappeared from her seat in the corner and had gone somewhere. She came back with something that looked like a piece of paper.

“Here”, she said, offering the paper to Sly. “We managed to snatch an invitation to their secret meeting.”

He looked at the invitation. It had only one thing on it; a circle with what he thought was arrows coming out of its lower part. He had never been a huge fan of history, and had a hard time remembering anything about the time period of Ancient Egypt, yet about what this symbol meant. Finally, curiosity got the best of him.

“What is ‘Aten’?” He asked.

“Aten is the Sun; an aspect of Ra, and according to his cult, the only true God of this world”, Slytunkhamen answered. Nane nodded her head enthusiastically.

“Pharaoh Akhenaten declared the cult of Aten the only allowed religion in the Two Lands, but Pharaoh Tutankhamen re-established the old pantheon of gods after he inherited the throne”, she added. “The cult lost its popularity among the people, and it went underground”.

“But why would they be interested in my cane?” 

“The cult has shown keen interest in my... business.” Slytunkhamen said, narrowing his eyes. “When they heard that ‘I’ was arrested, they must have jumped at the opportunity to come into possession of my khopesh.”

Sly took in the information he was just given. This cult sounded like trouble, but if they had truly taken his beloved cane, he was more than ready to face them as soon as possible. He tried to stand up, but Slytunkhamen put his hand firmly on his shoulder, stopping him to his tracks. A sudden pain reminded him about the fact that he had survived a blimp crash and a beating the very same day.

“Patience, my friend”, he said. “It would be foolish to act now. You are hurt, and the meeting takes place at dawn tomorrow.”

Sly sat back down. His ancestor made a good point. Meanwhile, Nane had gathered various items on the table; a wet cloth, some water, and a garment that looked similar to Slytunkhamen’s.

“We need to wash your wounds”, she said. “You also need new clothing. Here.” She gestured at the garment. “I brought a couple of pieces that might fit you well.” She enthusiastically picked up the wet cloth from the basin and proceeded to tug on the tattered remains of Sly’s shirt. Sly jumped to his feet, suddenly feeling very flustered.

“Um... I would prefer to do that myself.”

Nane laughed at his expression. “As you wish”, she giggled. “I was only trying to help, you know.”

She directed him upstairs to a small room. Sly took off his shirt, and washed himself with the cloth she had given him. It took him a while to figure out how the clothes worked, but he managed to get them on. When he returned downstairs, Nane had set the table with fruit and vegetables, and something that looked like oatmeal, but smelled like ale. Slytunkhamen raised his head, and gave Sly a playful smile.

“We look like brothers”, he joked. 

Nane laughed, and ran up to sly, grabbing his hand and tugging him along towards the table. Sly hadn’t realized how hungry he was, and the smell of the food made his mouth water. 

“Come! It is time for dinner.”


	3. Friends and foes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sly learns more about the cult of Aten. Meanwhile in the present time, his friends have a plan to find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a bunch for everyone still interested in my work!

BENTLEY  
Bentley and Murray arrived at Carmelita’s doorstep while the streets were still relatively quiet, and the morning traffic was just a thought in the heads of the average Joe’s working their honest nine to five jobs. The inspector looked as tired as Bentley, but greeted them with her usual vigor, and led them to her tidy living room, where she had set a tray of croissants and tea on the sofa table. The apartment was small, but modern and furnished with good taste. Carmelita seemed to be a big fan of old school vinyl records, as she had a whole collection of them along with a vintage record player tucked in a corner near a cosy-looking armchair. 

“Here. I thought you might not have eaten breakfast”, she said, and gestured to the food. Bentley could hear the toll of the sleepless nights in her voice.

They sat down, and Murray grabbed hungrily the nearest croissant from the plate, and gobbled it down in one bite. Carmelita poured the tea, and waited as Bentley took a long sip of his cup, before addressing them.

“How have you two been?” 

“We have been... as fine as we could be in this situation.” Bentley answered, as Murray had his mouth full of croissant. “I assume that the lead about a sighting in Wien did not produce any results?”

He read the answer from the tired inspector’s face. They fell again in silence that was only broken by the noises Murray made as he tried to sip his tea as quietly and neatly as possible. They must have looked quite depressed, because he set his drink on the table, and gave Bentley a brisk pat on the back.

“Hey, don’t worry, Pal! Sly will come back. He would never abandon his friends!” He said in almost believable, upbeat voice.

Carmelita nodded, but said nothing. Bentley straightened his glasses which had almost fallen from his head. His eyes met with hers, and they exchanged a knowing look. There was only one possibility about Sly’s whereabouts, but knowing that did almost as much good as knowing nothing. 

“Murray, he... might not be able to come back to us, not by his own efforts, at least.” Bentley said carefully. “I am not going to sugar-coat this for you. We have a reason to believe that Sly is trapped in a time loop.”

Murray’s face fell. “B-but that means that Sly could be... in anywhere that has ever been, like, ever!” He jumped up and started pacing around frantically.

“How are we gonna find him? He could be stuck in a desert, or a jungle or, or something!”

Carmelita looked stern. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Bentley approached him and awkwardly patted Murray’s elbow, for that was as high he could reach, and tried to reassure him.

“We are all worried, buddy. However, the situation is not entirely hopeless.”

The other two looked at him, a glimpse of hope in their eyes. He was the brains of the gang, after all. It was his job to come up with a plan, and in the absence of Sly, it was also his duty to keep up the morale as the de-facto leader. Murray had finally stopped pacing, and looked like he would burst in tears at any given moment. Carmelita had an eager look of anticipation on her face. He cleared his throat.

“I have taken steps to modify my time machine to track down the precise location of Sly in the space-time.” He announced. “As you know, currently it sports a fatal flaw; it requires an item from the era one wishes to travel to.”

Carmelita nodded impatiently. “Yes, we are aware. Are you suggesting that you can fix that?”

“Yes and even better. I plan to fix it so that it can track a specific person, provided that one is in the possession of a sample of their DNA.”

The news was met with happy pipes from Murray. He jumped up to hug Bentley, careful not to hurt his friend. The inspector on the other hand looked relieved, but there was still doubt in her voice when she spoke.

“That sounds good, but... are you sure you can get all the materials that you need?” Bentley looked at her over Murray’s shoulder.

“No. That is where we need your help.” 

SLY  
They left the hideout when it was still dark outside. The thieves had donned cloaks to hide themselves from curious eyes. Nane waved them a quick goodbye at the door before disappearing back inside. She had looked unhappy.

“She would have liked to accompany us, but I denied her,” Slytunkhamen explained when Sly looked at him questioningly.

They travelled quickly without a sound, avoiding patrols of guards by hiding in the shadows. He was impressed at the prowess of his ancestor, as the Egyptian turned almost invisible to the naked-eye. They were stuck to the streets, as Sly was still missing his cane, and couldn’t access the rooftops without it, which irked him greatly. Finally, they arrived at their destination. It was an old house in disrepair and surely abandoned. There was no living soul in the area, save from an ancient looking crocodile, who was sitting in front of the building. She raised her head when she heard them approaching.

“Invitation?” she said in a raspy voice. 

Slytunkhamen stepped forward, and gave the old woman the piece of paper. Sly observed as she held it in her dry hands, inspecting it carefully. He wasn’t entirely sure if the woman could see. Finally, she gave a satisfied nod.

“Walk in the light of Aten, my children”, she said, and flashed them a toothless smile. They thanked her, and she opened the door.

Once inside, Sly noted that the house was most definitely abandoned. It was dusty and smelled awful, like something had died in there. In the middle of the floor lay an entrance of a tunnel. The two thieves looked briefly at each other before stepping down the small stairs carved to its edge. The walls of the tunnel were lit by torches, casting shadows all around them as they walked forward in complete silence.

“So...” Sly said. “What’s the plan?”

Slytunkhamen took his time before he answered. “We blend in, observe, and leave without getting noticed.”

Sly nodded begrudgingly. As much as he wanted to get his cane back, they were on a surveillance mission on an enemy territory. He thought of his friends, and the cracks they would take on each other despite the danger, and it pained him. He missed them greatly. Slytunkhamen seemed to take a notice of his changed mood.

“Afraid?” he teased with a smirk on his face. “That is odd. Chickens usually have feathers.”

It made him feel a bit better, and he laughed. “Afraid? Please, danger is my middle name.”

They continued talking, and he learned things about his ancestor that weren’t mentioned in the Thievious Raccoonus. He had orphaned quite early in his life, just like Sly. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his father, whose day job had been a carpenter, had been killed by the guards when they had set him up for alleged tomb robbery. The topic seemed to be a sore spot, so he quickly changed the subject.

“So, what is the story of Nane? How did you end up taking her in?” he asked.

“She was an orphan, like I was. Originally, she belonged in the cult of Aten.”

This information surprised Sly. Nane didn’t seem the cult type. Slytunkhamen looked distant. 

“When she left the cult, she found me and begged me to take her in as an apprentice. I suppose she reminded me of myself...”

They continued their journey in silence again. After what felt like almost an hour, they saw a glimpse of a distant light in front of them.

“Hey, look! The tunnel’s ending.” 

They were outside again. Well, almost. As they walked further in, Sly looked around the room in front of them. It had an open roof, through which he saw that the Sun had started to rise over the horizon. In the far end there rose a platform with a big altar in the middle of it. The walls were covered in the same symbols that they had seen in the invitation. Under them sat people with harps and flutes. In the centre of it all was a crowd, maybe a couple dozen people donned in similar plain cloaks.

“What now?” Sly whispered.

“Follow my lead”, Slytunkhamen answered.

The thieves weaved their way through the excited and chattering herd, settling for a spot where they could observe it all without drawing much attention to themselves. Then, someone appeared on the rostrum; an onyx-haired fennec fox woman, wearing a simple dress-like garment. The crowd went silent. As she raised her hands to greet them, Sly noticed both to his joy and dismay that she was holding his cane. The musicians began to play a sad, but beautiful tune.

“Praise be to you Aten, Lord of rays, who rise on the horizon day by day!” She bellowed. “Shine with your beams of light upon the face of those who speak truth, who sing hymns to you at dawn, and adore you in the evening. Let their souls appear with you in heaven. Let them sail out in the Divine Boat and arrive in port, and let them cleave their way among the stars that never vanish!”

“Praise be to you, O Aten, who are the Creator, the Self-Existent One!” the crowd echoed.

The prayer continued like this for awhile. Soon, the Sun had risen fully, casting its light upon them. The priestess held her hands like she was embracing the light, basking in the love of her god.

“...I have given my heart to you without wavering, O you who are the mightiest of all”, she finished dramatically.

The crowd repeated her words in ecstasy. The musicians played their last notes. Then, she addressed them. 

“Children of Aten, you have yet again shown Him your love by coming here, despite the temptations of the false gods, and the traitor Pharaoh, who calls himself Tutankhamen!”

The crowd hissed at the sound of his name. Some even spat in disgust. Sly noted that the priestess was a charismatic speaker. The people seemed to absorb every world from her lips, and she showed no discomfort over being at the centre of all the attention. Her green eyes gleamed as she spoke.

“Truly, the Great One despises thieves and heretics! Once again, when he raises the dead, the faithful shall be rewarded for their services!”

The crowd cheered at these words. What did she mean by “raising the dead”? Sly took a glimpse at Slytunkhamen, who had been listening intensively, and looked tense.

“You may now approach the altar with your gifts to our Lord.” 

The musicians started to play again. As the people moved forward towards the altar, the thieves began making their way back the tunnel. They were almost at the entrance, when Sly felt a hand on his shoulder, grasping it firmly.

“Where are you going, my children?” asked the same old woman who previously took their invitation at the door. 

Slytunkhamen reacted so fast that Sly almost didn’t see him move. He knocked the woman off her feet, and tripped another cult member who had approached them. As she fell, the woman managed to rip off their cloaks, exposing their cover for good.

“Intruders!” she screamed.

“Run!” he exclaimed, and Sly obeyed.

The thieves bolted to the tunnel as fast as they could. In the midst of the chaos they heard the priestess barking orders at her minions. Sly felt the thrill of the chase in his veins, and adrenaline filling his whole body. This was more like the old times with his friends.

“What happened to the ‘leave without being noticed’ part?” he laughed as they heard the cultists running after them.

“Unforeseen circumstances,” his ancestor replied. “If one tries to navigate unknown waters, one runs the risk of shipwreck.”

“Wow. You are full of wisdom AND know some impressive moves.”

“Indeed. Maybe I should author a book...” 

They escaped the building and hid in the shadows as the cultists ran around looking for them. The streets were still quite empty, and they were able to move around with relative ease. Slytunkhamen disappeared for awhile, and returned with a couple of replacement cloaks for them. Once they were sure they weren’t followed, they returned to the hideout where Nane had eagerly been waiting for them.


	4. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slytunkhamen is acting secretive. Carmelita ponders her relationship with Sly. Meanwhile, a dark figure is plotting our heroes' demise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I am current visiting my parents for midsummer, and that has left less time for writing. Thank you for your patience and interest in my work.

???  
The predictable had happened; Zahra had informed him in her letter about the thieves who had infiltrated the secret meeting. The priestess was furious, and was demanding swift retribution. But the time was not right... yet. The priestess was powerful, which is why he had found her and partnered up with her, but she lacked a calm mind and vision for greater things. Once she did her part regarding the child like he told her to, everything would fall into place.  
He had taken his time, planning every detail with precision and care, and he was not going to let this... minor setback to affect them. He admitted that the appearance of the second thief was something he had not foreseen, and the failure to obtain the original’s weapon was... mildly upsetting, but he doubted that these things would change anything. The parts of the thief’s odd transportation his minions had gathered, however, interested him greatly; they were somehow special, and he intended to unveil their secrets. In the meantime, everything was going the way he had orchestrated. After all, he was the greatest thief that ever lived. He would someday rule the world, and no raccoon would get in his way.

SLY  
After their mission, Slytunkhamen had taken a habit to disappear somewhere from time to time without telling neither Sly or Nane where he was going or what was he doing. It seemed to upset her, and she was acting more sulky and reserved than usual. Since he had forbidden them from leaving the premises while he was gone, he had picked a habit to help Nane with her tasks around the house.  
It was one of those evenings again, and the two home-bound thieves were making dinner. Nane was shuffling around without a word, sometimes instructing him on the preparation of the porridge-like ale that they ate every day. Finally, Sly had enough of the silence, and he addressed the sulky girl.

“Hey, are you okay? You have been acting very distant lately.”

She sighed, and dropped the basket of fruit she had been carrying to the floor. Sly could hear the hurt in her voice when she spoke.

“He refuses to tell me what happened in the cult meeting”, she said. “He has never left me in the dark before...”

Sly said nothing. He felt bad for the girl, but Slytunkhamen had given him strict instructions to not tell her anything about what had happened on their mission, and he didn’t want to challenge his ancestor on the matter. When he didn’t answer her, she pouted, and continued working where she left off, turning her back to him. A few moments later, they heard the door open and exhausted looking Slytunkhamen appeared before them.

“Ah, food. Excellent.” 

They ate the dinner in a heavy atmosphere. Sly observed how Nane barely ate her food, opting to play with it instead, and shot a burning look at her master from time to time. Slytunkhamen seemed to pretend that nothing was wrong, keeping his eyes firmly on his plate, and avoiding her accusing gaze. He was just thinking about something to say to lighten the mood, when she stood up so fast that her meal almost flew on the floor, and hit her tiny fists on the table.

“Why are you avoiding me? Why are you not telling me anything anymore?” she yelled, tears forming under her eyes.

He didn’t answer her at first. Sly saw his jaw clenching and his muscles tension on his face. Finally, he spoke.

“You know everything that you need to know. Sit down.”

“But-“

Now it was Slytunkhamen’s turn to stand up. He gave his apprentice a firm look. The girl didn’t back down, and looked like she was ready to argue again. He didn’t yell, but when he spoke, his voice was cold as ice.

“Nane, either you sit down and be quiet, or you leave this room, right now.”

Tears began to fall on her cheeks. They stared each other for a few second. Then, she grabbed her plate, and hurled it in the opposite wall, before bolting away.

“I hate you!” she sniffed, and ran upstairs.

The two thieves were left in the awkward silence. What had been Nane’s meal covered the wall, and the pieces of her plate were scattered all around the floor. He sighed, and stared cleaning up the mess, while Sly kept awkwardly eating his meal.

“I suppose I deserved that”, Slytunkhamen said while he was picking up the pieces of the now broken clay plate. “You must not think me as heartless, friend. I am simply trying to protect her from the evils we are about to face.”

Sly said nothing, but got up to help his ancestor. His heart was with Nane, for he had no idea why the girl should be told nothing about the cult’s plans. Besides, he had always been open about everything with his friends. Well, most of the time. The face of Carmelita when she found out about his little ruse still haunted him, and the thought of her made his heart ache. He needed to get back to his own time and tell her how truly sorry he was, and for that, he needed his cane.

“Um, Look. Maybe we could tell her something just so she wouldn’t feel left out? I’m a little bit in the dark myself about the meaning of this all”, he said, mopping the stain from the wall. “I don’t know about your plans, but that priestess has my cane, and I didn’t exactly like the sound of her ‘raising the dead’ plans.”

Slytunkhamen smiled wryly. 

“I admit that I have neglected to keep you informed about everything”, he said. “Worry not; I shall reveal to you what I have been doing these past days.”

CARMELITA  
The waiting was insufferable. Carmelita Fox sat in front of her desk in the Paris headquarters, but she wasn’t really focused on work. She was known in Interpol for her honesty and rigorous work ethic, but even those who barely knew her at all could see that she had been under-performing for a few months. Even she knew that she wasn’t up to her usual standards, and the culprit was nowhere to be found, stranded in time and space.

Sly had been... a lot of things to her. When she had caught him red-handed for lying to her, her heart had broken in pieces. Sure, she had been furious, but the dominant feelings had been betrayal, and sadness. Had everything about them been a lie? No, she knew that now. Carmelita held the damaged photo carefully in her hands. She remembered the day the picture was taken. They had been so happy...

She wiped away a tear that had crept in the corner of her eye. Crying wouldn’t help now. Bentley kept her regularly updated about his progress, and she had done her part, providing him with parts that weren’t available in the black market, along with a sample of Sly’s hair for DNA. Now, it was time to wait.

“Hang in there, Ring-tail.”


	5. The Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sly gets some answers he was desperately seeking, but at what price?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! Sorry for the late publication and a short chapter. I am still visiting my parents, and time has not been on my side. Thank you for your patience and interest in my work!

SLY  
They left the hideout at sunset. Nane seemed to still be upset, as she didn’t come to say goodbye at the door as she would usually do. Sly didn’t blame her. As they hurried along the empty streets, only occasionally diving in the shadows to avoid the night patrols, he couldn’t help but notice the growing unease of his ancestor. He had promised to tell him everything about his recent activities, but the thief had remained silent so far, and he was growing impatient.

“Look, I don’t want to sound rude or anything, but what’s going on? Where are we going?”

“We are going to meet a friend. Hopefully, he will have something for us; something that will aid us in our battle with the evil we are about to face.”

He frowned. Slytunkhamen was being cryptic as usual, but something about the man was different. Usually, he glowed silent confidence and underlying playful demeanour, but now, he was more rigid and nervous. Something was upsetting him. The buildings around them became smaller and the streets narrowed as they hurried along them. 

“What do you know about Heka?”

“Uh...”

The sudden question surprised him. He tried to remember if he had ever heard of the word before, but he couldn’t place it anywhere. His reply must have given away his ignorance, as his ancestor continued to speak.

“Heka is a god. He is omnipresent, and he affects everything and everyone from birth to death. All the other gods have a piece of Heka in them, and every act of magic invokes him.”

“So, we are dealing with magic? Is that what that priestess is up to?” he asked as they slowed their pace, and finally stopped in front of an unassuming building.

The Egyptian didn’t answer, but simply gestured him to follow. They stepped inside, and Sly noticed that they were not in an ordinary house. The room was full of curiosities; scrolls, jewelry, and jars decorated the room from the floor to the ceiling. A heavy cloud of smoke hanged above them, and gave him a slight headache. In the far corner sat an old man smoking something from a strange apparatus. He raised his head, and smiled at them.

“Ii wey, my friend”, he said. “I trust you have been well?” He remained seated, but let his gaze slowly travel from Slytunkhamen to Sly.

“Em hotep; Likewise”, he answered, stepping closer. “This is Sly, my relative form a faraway land. Sly, this is my friend, Tekem.”

The old man set down his pipe, and stood up with some difficulty to greet him with a warm handshake. Sly noticed a slight limp in his tread. On closer look, he saw that the man was missing several toes, and at least one finger.

“Well met. Any friend of Slytunkhamen is a friend of mine”, he wheezed. “You have come at a good time. Your order has just arrived.”

He turned his back on them, and hobbled towards a back room covered with woven curtains. Uncertain about what the old man meant by ‘your order’, Sly gave his ancestor a questioning look. The thief noticed his gaze, and simply shook his head slightly. 

“You will see”, he said.

He gestured him to sit, and so he did. After a moment, the old man came back with a beautifully carved wooden box. Carefully, he set the box in front of them, and opened it. Inside it was a set of two necklaces; amulets made of an unfamiliar material, shaped like circles with horizontal lines under them. He picked one from the fabric it was laying on, and held it up in front of them. 

“What do you think?” 

He handed the amulet over the table to Slytunkhamen, who took it with care, and inspected it with his keen brown eyes. It was truly beautiful. Precious stones decorated its sides, and it seemed to even glow slightly. It was not an ordinary necklace.

“Is it authentic?” He asked. The old man huffed. 

“Of course! Do I look like a crook to you?”

He paused for a moment, cackled, and waved his right hand with the missing index finger.

“I suppose I do. I doubt any model citizen has lost this many body parts to the guards!”

The look on Sly’s face made him laugh even harder. Sly, on the other hand, felt sick to his stomach. He had thought that he had a rough encounter with the local authorities, but apparently a few bruised ribs were nothing compared to the punishments they could inflict on the poor people who made the mistake of angering them.

“Indeed! I heard about your little mix up with the guards, my friend. You are a very, very lucky man. I wonder if you need these protective amulets at all.”

Sly looked at his ancestor, who was now inspecting the other necklace. 

“How will these things protect us?”

He seemed to be satisfied with the product, as he lowered it gently next to its twin. Then, he turned his gaze to him.

“Do you remember our conversation about Heka? This shape is a ring of Shen; the circle of eternal protection. These are tools of great magical power rivalling the priestess of Aten.”

“Aye, these beauties are blessed by the priests of Amun themselves”, Tekem said. He had returned to his chair, and was smoking again.

They thanked him, and Slytunkhamen slid a pouch of something to the old man, who nodded.

“Nefer sedjmek! May you only hear good things.”

They traveled back in silence. He couldn’t help but notice that his ancestor seemed much more confident and relaxed. It puzzled him. The priestess had been a good speaker, but he didn’t understand what about she made her so fearsome in his eyes. Suddenly, Slytunkhamen stopped in his tracks, and Sly almost bumped into him. He opened his mouth to a question, but the thief gestured him to stay silent.

“Something is wrong”, he said in a low voice.

His felt his heart sink. Slowly, the Egyptian drew out his canes as they crept towards the hideout. It was pitch black. Now he realized how odd it was. Nane should be in there, right? Quietly, they entered the building, ready for a fight.

Everything was a mess. Mats had been torn from the windows, clay dishes were broken, and tables were turned over. Food items were all over the floor. Slytunkhamen dashed upstairs, but came back alone, looking devastated. Then, they saw it. Carved on the biggest table was the symbol of Aten. Sly cursed under his breath.

“They have Nane.”


	6. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sly and Slytunkhamen are looking for the cult and Nane. Meanwhile, Bentley is on a verge of a breakthrough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the long break. I unexpectedly spent the month of July at my parents, and I did not have my files with me.^^' I'll do my best to post regularly again. Thank you for reading my work!

SLY

They searched the hideout again, hoping to find clues about Nane’s whereabouts, but they only found a small note, scribbled hastily in Nane’s handwriting, which simply said: Don’t try to find me.

“She must have written it before she got attacked”, Slytunkhamen said, desperation in his voice. “This is my fault. I must have been careless and led them here.”

He fell on his knees on the floor. Sly hesitated, but put his arm on the shoulder of his ancestor to comfort him. The important thing was to stay calm, and work fast. They needed a plan, and for that, they needed Slytunkhamen’s knowledge about the cult, and the city it inhabited.

“It is not your fault. We will get her back no matter what. Besides, Nane is smart and agile; those bastards don’t know who they are messing with”, he said, trying his best to lift the mood in the room.

He pulled his ancestor on his feet, and gave him an encouraging smile. It was devastating to lose a friend in the hands of the enemy, he knew that. Worry swirled inside him for the safety of Nane, but they needed to stay strong in order to make things right again.

“We should probably start looking from the last place we saw the cult of Aten. Maybe we can catch a member and interrogate them about this attack and Nane’s location”, he suggested.

“... You are absolutely right. Forgive me for losing my composure like that”, Slytunkhamen said, seemingly regaining some spirit. “Nothing is lost, yet. Let us move hastily.”

They quickly hid the amulets, and lifted up some of the fallen furniture, before heading out towards the direction they had previously come from. They had to move rather slowly, because the sun was up, and the streets started to fill with people; shopkeepers competing for the best spots, and buyers hungry for bargains they had to offer. The thieves weaved their way nimbly through the crowd, and arrived in front of the same abandoned building they had last entered to attend the secret meeting of the cult.

“No guard at the door...” Slytunkhamen mused quietly. “It might be a trap, or nobody is home.”

As they got inside the building, it was evident that the cult had abandoned it. The entrance which had back then led to a tunnel leading to a secret temple was now caved in, and there was no way getting through. Sly cursed under his breath, but Slytunkhamen did not seem surprised.

“Do not worry, I expected this to be the case”, He said. “I have a plan. Follow me.”

Curious, Sly followed his lead, and they entered the crowd once again on the buzzing streets. This time, they moved without a specific direction, like they were looking for something. He watched as Slytunkhamen’s keen brown eyes scanned their surroundings.

“What are we looking for?” he finally asked.

“Not what, but who”, the thief simply answered.

Suddenly, he stopped, and pointed out a woman in rather worn outfit browsing a shop full of fruit and vegetables. Sly noted how she pretended to leave the scene, only to pocket some of the merchandise while the shopkeeper was distracted. She lifted her head, only to see the two thieves looking at her. Panic crossed her face briefly before she turned around and bolted to the opposite direction, knocking an old woman off her feet, and crashing a basket of dates on the ground, much to the anger of the shopkeeper. 

“Follow her, I’ll get ahead of her and cut her escape!”

Sly obeyed, and rushed to follow the woman, jumping over the shopkeeper who was collecting his merchandise, and into the surrounding crowd. The woman was quick, and had the privilege of knowing the streets, but he managed to keep her in his sights. She looked over her shoulder, and saw that she was being followed. Hastily, she made her way through the mass of people to a smaller side street, but Slytunkhamen was waiting for her there. Before she could run, he grabbed her by her collar and slammed her to the wall of the nearest building.

“Hello, Kebi.”

“He-hey! I swear the merchandise was legitimate!” she tried to free herself from his grasp, but failed miserably.

“Where are they, Kebi? Where is the cult of Aten hiding? I know you have that knowledge”, he said in a low tone Sly had never heard him use before. 

The woman called Kebi stopped briefly her squirming, and tried to look innocent. She wasn’t fooling anyone. Slytunkhamen tightened his grip on her, and made a menacing gesture with one of his canes near her throat. That seemed to do the trick, as she winced, and started to speak quickly.

“Okay, look. It wasn’t anything personal. They wanted to get back at you for meddling with their business, you see? I swear all I know is that they like to hang around this one temple of Amun, recruiting people for their cause.”

Slytunkhamen loosened his grip, and Kebi fell to the ground, gasping for air. With one last menacing look, the thieves quickly left the scene before any alerted guards came after them.

“Are you sure we can trust her? No offence, but she didn’t seem exactly the honest type”, Sly said.

“No, but her words are all we have”, Slytunkhamen answered.

BENTLEY

He had done it. After months of hard work and sleepless nights, he had managed to finish his most impressive feat since the creation of his time machine. He had contacted Carmelita about his success, and she had promised to drop by as soon as she could. Bentley took of his glasses and rubbed his sore eyes with his thumb and index finger. Murray was doing his weight routine near him, anxious to get into action again. Then, the doorbell rang. Bentley looked at his door security system, and saw Carmelita standing in their doorway.

“Bentley, it’s me. Open the door”, he heard her say.

“One second”, he replied.

He opened the door for her. Murray had put away his weights as soon as he had heard her voice, and was practically jumping with anticipation. The inspector looked almost as fidgety as Murray, but managed to keep her cool composure. The improved time machine sat neatly in the garage area where Bentley had been improving it for the last few months.

“Does it work?” She asked. He looked hesitant.

“Well, I have run all the scenarios, and the tests seem promising. Of course, the only way to see if it truly works is a live trial run.”

He straightened his posture, and tried to look confident as he turned his creation on, and made the final inputs. At first, nothing major happened. Then the machine started to make a low humming sound, which grew louder and higher until it was almost unbearable to hear. The gang covered their ears in pain, Murray stuffing pillows in his, while Bentley and Carmelita had dodged behind the couch as if the machine was going to explode any minute.

“Make it stop!” She roared.

Then, it got quiet again. At first, nobody dared to move. Finally, Bentley approached the machine slowly, and inspected it carefully. A victorious smile crept on his face.

“I think it works!”

Now Carmelita approached the apparatus, eyes locked on the screen that showed Sly’s exact location in space-time. Murray peaked over her shoulder.

“Is that spot there Sly? Awesome, let’s go!”

He jumped at the wheel, but Bentley shook his head. 

“I’m afraid it is not that simple, Murray. Look at these readings. The time-space is acting in a very peculiar way around him. I’ll need more time to study this before we can travel safely.”

Murray’s face fell, and he got out of the time machine looking defeated. Carmelita was still eyeing the information on the display screen.

“He is in the Ancient Egypt?” She asked.

“Yes, currently, but as I said, the time space is acting weird around him. Next time he might be in a completely different time period and location”, he answered. “I know this is hard for all of us, but we will be off no use if we get stuck in there ourselves, or get ripped into tiny particles if something goes really wrong.”

The inspector looked dissatisfied, but nodded. Murray had gone back doing his workout in order to get his mind off the situation. Bentley picked up his toolbox and his coffee mug, and sighed. It was going to be another long night.


	7. Chapter  7: Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! A lot of stuff happened in 2020, including my computer breaking and me having to buy a new one, but after a long break, I think I am ready to write this fic again. Sorry for the sudden disappearance! ^^' This chapter is short, because the next chapter is going to be the last chapter of the Curse of The Pharaohs part, and I feel this chapter would not fit to it thematically / phasing wise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sly and Slytunkhamen are following the only lead they've got, hoping to find the missing apprentice thief in good spirits.

SLY

“There. Do you see them?”

The two thieves had followed the lead they had gotten from the reluctant informant. Once they had retrieved the protective amulets from the hideout, just in case, they had made their way to the temple of Amun located at the busy center of the city. 

One would have thought that finding specific people in such a sizable crowd would have been more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack, but to Sly’s delight and surprise, the cultists didn’t seem very interested in keeping a low profile. In fact, they were attracting some attention by singing loudly and beckoning curious onlookers to “Hear the call of Aten”.

“O Aten, ordainer of life. Thou dost shoot up in the horizon of the East, thou fillest every land with thy beneficence!” One of them bellowed, making a group of children who were nearby laugh and point at him.

“How are they allowed to do that so near to the temple of Amun? Where are the guards?”

Slytunkhamen gave a slightly amused cough, and pointed at the two guards approaching the preachers casually. The other one stepped to greet them, and they talked briefly. Sly saw something travel between their hands, before the guards continued their patrol, leaving the two cultists to continue their recruiting attempts.

“I recall that I have mentioned how easy it is to bribe the guards here.” Slytunkhamen shook his head. “It has its advantages and disadvantages.”

“Wow. I wish it was that easy back in Paris.”

His ancestor chuckled, and leaned back, keeping his keen eyes strictly in the direction of the two cultists, and Sly copied him. He watched in awe as the thief practically melted in the shadows, becoming one with the darkness.

“What now?” He asked.

“Now, we wait.” 

BENTLEY

Everything was in chaos. An alarm of some sort was sounding its piercing tone. Bentley was dashing around the room with a surprising speed, and with a manic gleam in his eyes. Murray stood in the doorway with his gym bag hanging loosely on his right shoulder watching his friend with a concerned look, ready to fight whoever was attacking them.

“Bentley! Are you okay?! What’s going on?!” He yelped as Bentley zoomed past him, barely registering his presence.

“Murray!” Quick! Call Carmelita and tell her to come prepared! Sly needs us!”

Murray’s eyes lit up with determination at the sound of the name of one of his best friends in the whole wide world. His gaze travelled from the frantic turtle to the time machine, which was the source of the alarm sound, back to Bentley, who was now carrying his toolbox to the van. 

“We are going to Sly? Right now? Awesome!”

He dropped his bag, and practically leaped to grab Bentley’s cellphone from the end table next to him. After making the short call, ending with the Inspector curtly announcing that she was going to be there within the next 10 minutes, he ran into his room to his drawer, and pulled out his trusty gloves and mask. He didn’t need anything else. The hippo sized himself in the mirror, flexing his arms above his shoulders, and grinned. “The Murray” was back in business.

Meanwhile Bentley had finished loading his tools into the van, and was now preparing the newly improved time machine for its second ever adventure in space time. Every cell in his body hoped that they would not be too late, and that the machine was stable enough to make the trip in one piece, not to mention its passengers. Had he hoped for more time to run some tests and trials? Sure. Was he anxious out of his mind? Absolutely. However, his years running with the gang had taught him many valuable lessons, including that often one must improvise, and be ready to take risks in order to succeed at any given job. He wiped away some sweat that had formed on his brow, and glanced at the blaring, red screen.

“We are coming, pal.”

SLY  
Sly let out a muffled yawn. They must have been standing around for hours now, constantly monitoring the moves of the two cultists preaching their message to the ongoing crowd of people mostly minding their own business. He shifted his weight from his right foot to his left, as the other had almost fallen numb, and sneaked a look at his ancestor, who seemed unbothered by the monotonous nature of their stakeout. The sky was red and the shadows were long, and it took him a while to notice the thief standing unnaturally still in the very same spot he had seen him at the beginning of the stakeout. Sly wasn’t even sure if he was blinking.

“Hey, do you think they are gonna do something interesting soon? They have been standing there for a long time.” He asked.

“Patience is a virtue of a master thief, my friend.” Slytunkhamen reminded him gently. “I used to spend many hours hiding in various empty vases and baskets to stalk my prey, and strike at an opportune time.” 

Sly had to admit that patience wasn’t his strongest suit. He was a man of action, after all. He involuntarily remembered the time he was held captive at the Contessa’s prison in Prague, and how they had tried to break his spirit via isolation and depriving him of exercise. He shuddered at the memory.

“They are on the move. Let us follow.”

Sly came back to his surroundings, and saw that Slytunkhamen was right. The cultists were finally leaving the plaza, and seemed to be talking quietly among themselves. He quickly shook off the numbness from his sleepy legs, and followed at the tail of the Egyptian as they followed the two preachers, maintaining a respectable distance from their targets to remain unnoticed.

The darkness had completely fallen over the land as the cultists finally stopped. The thieves watched in silence as they entered another neglected looking building. Sly looked around, and noticed that they must have been near the outskirts of the city.

“There is no guard at the door.” Slytunkhamen mused quietly. 

“Better for us, huh?” Look, there are practically no people around here. We should just rush in and question those two about the whereabouts of Nane.” Sly whispered back.

He tried to take a few steps towards the house, but his ancestor held him back by his shoulder. His face was lit with a sudden realization and anger.

“Kebi! That worm…” He growled. “We must leave, immediately!”

“NOW!”

Sly was grabbed from behind, and slammed to the ground with a considerable amount of force, knocking the air out of his lungs. The sounds next to him indicated that something similar had been done to Slytunkhamen. A bag smelling of fermented grain was pulled over his head, and his hands were tied behind his back. He tried to struggle for no avail, and something heavy hit him directly to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

They had walked straight into an ambush.


End file.
